Armenia tours & travel

The first country to declare itself as Christian, Armenia’s tale is one of holy origins.

It’s said that Jesus’ own apostles brought Christianity here, and nowhere else do you see such ancient churches. There’s the Geghard Monastery, where the spear used at Jesus’s crucifixion is housed – and the Tatev monastery, sitting spectacularly on a plateau. Even though most traces of paganism were destroyed in early Christian countries, Armenia’s own monument to the sun God still stands – the 1st century Temple of Gardi. With historical marvels, generous locals, and astounding natural beauty, Armenia is a holiday lover’s dream.

Armenia travel highlights

Unearth the mysteries of Zvartnots Temple

The ruins of this 7th century Cathedral look almost like pagan pillars. It was destroyed some time in the middle ages, but sources refuse to say why.

Live in the caves at Khndzoresk

It’s known as the Cave Village, a mountainside where homes were built into the rock. Both natural and manmade caves became dwellings that are still used today.

See the Monastery of the Cave at Geghard

It’s also called the Monastery of the Spear for its precious relic that came in contact with Jesus Christ. The medieval monastery was partly carved out of the mountain and sits among the hillside green.

Armenia facts

Local culture of Armenia

Local culture of Armenia

Armenia is made up mostly of Armenians with some other ethnic minorities such as Yazidis and Russians. Armenia is famous for being the first country to declare itself a Christian country, and most Armenian’s belong to this church today. It’s said that two of Jesus’ apostles brought Christianity to the country just years after Christ’s death. Aside from that, there’s also a strong revival of paganism here, where many Armenians identify with their ancient ancestral religion. Travellers to Armenia tend to find the locals hospitable and generous, if a little old fashioned in some rural areas.

Geography & environment

Geography & environment

Armenia is a Caucasus country, bordering with Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Iran, as well the self-declared republic of the Nagorno-Karabakh. Because of its location in the southern Caucasus, Armenia is a mountainous country with some flat areas. Although there are few forests, there is a lot of vegetation. The country was once referred to as the ‘Land of Lakes and Rivers’ by the Assyrians for its many freshwater resources. Major rivers include the Arax, Debed and Aghstev, and its biggest lake is Lake Seva, the second highest lake in the world.

Shopping guide to Armenia

Shopping guide to Armenia

Take a little piece of your Armenia tour home with you. While the country isn’t a shopper’s paradise, you can still buy classic Armenian products and handicrafts. These include traditional pottery in earthy colours, models and paintings of the country’s significant churches, dolls in folk costumes and more. The best places to shop are the Vernisaj flea market in Yerevan and the market in Dilijan. Yerevan is also quite a modern city where you can buy fashionable clothing and accessories.

Armenia festival calendar

Armenia festival calendar

Vardavar

This ancient festival originated in Armenia’s pagan times but has since been adopted by the Christian tradition. Armenian’s throw water at each other on this day.

Dolma Festival

Celebrating traditional Armenian cooking, this fascinating festival calls for original spins on ancient dishes. People gather to showcase their produce and recipes, as well as traditional folk dances.

Festival of Gata

Gata is traditional Armenian sweetbread. This event takes place in the village of Khachik where locals bake the world’s biggest gata, as well as participate in a host of cultural activities.

Food & drink in Armenia

Food & drink in Armenia

Get closer to the Armenian culture by sampling the local cuisine. Here, cooking is characterized by the ingredients of bread, eggplant and lamb, and techniques such as pureeing, stuffing and frothing. Armenian bread (lavash) is flat and unleavened and has been recognized by UNESCO as a big part of the country’s cultural heritage. Other typical dishes include the daily serve of meat or legume stew (dzhash) and the thick meat-filled porridge (harissa). Armenians drink strong black coffee after their meals as well as beverages made from fermented milk (kefir) and mead (kvas).

Further reading

Further reading

The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America’s Response by Peter Balakian

Armenia travel FAQs

Australia: YES
Belgium: NO
Canada: : YES
Germany: NO
Ireland: NO
Netherlands: YES
New Zealand: YES
South Africa: YES
Switzerland: NO
United Kingdom: NO
USA: YES

**PLEASE NOTE** - UPDATE
The Armenia e-visa service web page has been down for the last few weeks. The MFA have given no indication of when this will be available again. Please note all passengers who don't or cannot apply for an e-visa, will obtain a visa on arrival at the border crossing. Armenian visas are available at all entry points, a 21-day tourist visas cost AMD3000 which is approximately $10.00USD, payable on arrival. You will need one empty page in your passport for the visa.

APPLYING FOR AN E-VISA:
Due to limited consular representation, we recommend that nationalities that require a visa obtain an e-visa. This is a process by which the visa is emailed to you as a PDF attachment that you will need to print out and present at immigration on arrival. This visa enables entry to Armenia at land or air borders. At time of writing the e-visa costs US$10 and takes on average between 15-21 days to be processed. You should apply for your Armenian visa no more than 55 days before arriving in the country.

To apply for your e-visa, visit: http://www.mfa.am/eVisa/ and follow these instructions:

1. Select your Country of Residence
2. Choose the 21 day visa duration option
3. Select the 1st option on the list (Ա/V-1/Կ (visitor visa for visiting relatives (friends) or tourist (for a rest) v-1/sh)
4. Proceed through the next step
5. Read the Privacy Statement and click Accept
6. Complete the payment section
7. Follow the instructions for tracking the progress of your visa application

If you have any trouble with the online form or want to chase up the status of your application for Visa Support Documents please contact The Visa Machine on visasupport@thevisamachine.com or during UK working hours on +44(0) 207 148 6402.
The Australian Visa Machine office can be contacted about actual Visa Applications (not Visa supporting documents) on gday@thevisamachine.com or on +61 (2) 61 452 265.

Please note the Australian office cannot assist with Visa Supporting Documents and or chasers. These must be directed to the UK office.

Tipping is becoming more common in the tourism industry in Armenia. Add 10% to your bill at restaurants and leave extra change for taxi drivers. At restaurants where a surcharge is included in the bill, this money goes to the owners and not the wait staff, who tend to have modest earnings.

You’ll have good mobile coverage in Armenia. Remember to activate global roaming with your provider if you wish to use your mobile while traveling. Vivacell and Orange have fee SIM cards on offer at the airport if required.

Drinking tap water is not considered safe in Armenia. For environmental reasons, avoid buying bottled water and bring a bottle or canteen with you. Ask your leader where you can access filters to refill your supply, or carry your own purification tablets with you.